


Brave Decisions

by all_new_wolverine



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: (just a short one), Academy Era, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, Hugh is anxious, M/M, Paul is brusque
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:49:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28582272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_new_wolverine/pseuds/all_new_wolverine
Summary: Sometimes, Hugh wished that he was just a little bit braver. A little more willing to assert himself. Maybe then he wouldn’t end up in situations like this.--Hugh finds himself in an uncomfortable situation at a school event. Paul saves him by pretending to be his date, which leads to a slightly awkward, slightly anxious, slightly flirtatious conversation.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets
Comments: 6
Kudos: 43





	Brave Decisions

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [nothing is ever truly gone](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26935612) by [DanceWithMeForScience](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanceWithMeForScience/pseuds/DanceWithMeForScience). 



> This was just a short thing I wrote because I'm obsessed with Getting Together fics and there are imo not nearly enough for these two! It is partially inspired by the drabble that DanceWithMeForScience posted, called "nothing is ever truly gone." I loved the idea of Paul breaking his grumpy persona to help rescue Hugh from something, but I wanted to try it outside of an Established Relationship. It started as a short drabble which turned into a oneshot which... has an open ending that may lead to more. lol. because apparently incapable of writing anything short. If people like it, I may write another chapter or two!! This is my first Culmets fic, so I hope it's okay-- I'm only part way through season 2 so I feel like I don't know their characters super well yet. Hopefully they're not too ooc. 
> 
> Also, thank you to newbsombrero who did a quick beta read of this focusing on tense shifts! It still shifts a bit throughout it, but now that's because of a specific writing choice and not by accident. ;D Any mistakes are, of course, my own.

Sometimes, Hugh wished that he was just a little bit braver. A little more willing to assert himself. Maybe then he wouldn’t end up in situations like this.

The woman sitting across from him was dragging her foot up the side of Hugh’s calf, smiling. Hugh had thought the two of them were just having a nice conversation, two people who found social gatherings overwhelming finding a haven with each other. Maybe it was because he was a hopeless gay, but he had not realized that she was interested in him. He had certainly never meant to make her think that he was interested. But, playing back the conversation, he could see how it could’ve come off that way. Now they were in a deeply awkward situation that Hugh did not know how to get out of. Still, he had to try. There was no way this could continue.

He cleared his throat. “Um. Mona.” 

“Yes?” 

He tried for a smile but was pretty sure it came out more as a grimace. “I… think we may have had a misunderstanding.” His heart pounded. He hated confrontation or making other people uncomfortable. But he couldn’t let this continue. “I’m—“ 

“Hugh! There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” 

Hugh looked up with surprise as Paul Stamets appeared out of nowhere. He was smiling, making Hugh completely forget about the awkward situation he was in. Although he and Paul had become something like friends over the course of the class they shared, he had never seen the man smile like this before. It was stunning. And it was directed at him. As if that wasn’t already enough to steal Hugh’s breath away, Paul immediately stepped into Hugh’s space, wrapping an arm around his waist. His body was warm against his, something that Hugh had no time to process before Paul planted a quick kiss on his head and turned back to his conversation partner. 

“And who is this? I’m so sorry to interrupt. I just arrived late and couldn’t find my date anywhere.” 

He squeezed his arm tighter around Hugh to indicate that he was who he was referring to as his date. Hugh’s mouth fell open. There was no way this was happening. Paul wouldn’t pretend to date anyone, least of all him. He didn’t even like Hugh that much. Did he? 

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to be upset when the woman looked quickly between the two of them, a soft “oh” escaping her lips. 

“Ah. I’m Mona. We… were just talking about our studies. But, um, I see my classmate. I should, uh, go.” She paused, after picking up her bag, giving both of them a look. Paul tightened his grip on Hugh’s body, continuing to smile at her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…” She shook her head, seemingly at herself, then smiled at them. “Have a good night, you two.” She turned and walked away, leaving Paul and Hugh alone. 

Paul didn’t withdraw his touch right away. The longer his arm remained around him, the faster Hugh’s heart beat. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore and he drew in a breath, shifting slightly. Whatever spell the two of them were under broke, and Paul pulled back. He stepped a few feet away, a sheepish smile on his face. 

“You okay? I’m sorry if I overstepped.” He glanced over his shoulder at the woman, then back at Hugh. “You just looked so uncomfortable.”

Hugh gazed at the man. He looked stunning in his dark blue suit, one silver ear cuff on his right ear. Hugh could have stared at him all night. Just before he forced himself to rip his gaze away, Paul dropped his own eyes to take in Hugh’s body. His appraisal was so quick that Hugh would have missed it had he blinked. When Paul looked back up at him, there was a slight flush to his cheeks. It made Hugh just a little bit braver. He swallowed and asked, 

“Why did you do that?” 

The slight smile on Paul’s face dropped at Hugh’s question. “I...” 

Realizing how his question sounded, Hugh shook his head, reaching out his hand to rest on Paul’s arm for a brief moment. Paul’s eyes flicked down to where their bodies touched, then back up at Hugh. Hugh drew his own hand back. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t have! I just...” He shook his head, brow furrowed. “It was really nice of you.”

Paul arched an eyebrow. “You’re surprised?” 

It was said teasingly, but there was an edge of something else behind his voice. Hugh tilted his head, considering Paul. “Well… yeah. I mean, I know we’ve gotten along well enough in class, but I didn’t think... well, I didn’t think we were on fake dating terms.” He adds a small smile to the end so that Paul knows he’s not taking any of this too seriously. 

Paul huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, well. As someone who also despises socializing… I figured I could help.” 

“Who says I don’t like socializing?” 

Paul snorts. “Please. You’ve been on the edges of the crowd all night long. You’re telling me you like these things?” 

Hugh tried to fight the slow smile that spread across his face. Paul had been watching him? “All night, huh?” He asked, testing his theory. 

Paul’s face flushed red, more than proof enough that Hugh had caught him out. But instead of completely backpedaling, Paul pushed forward. 

“Please,” he grumbled. “Have you seen yourself tonight? How could I not watch you?” He takes a sip of his drink, avoiding eye contact. 

Hugh’s mouth fell open. How could Paul do that? Just... speak so openly? It had impressed Hugh since they were first partnered up in class. But Paul wasn’t invincible. That much was clear as he picked at his cup with the edge of his thumb, discomfort clear in the set of his jaw. He might be brash, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t just made himself vulnerable. It made Hugh want to be braver, too. Ignoring the nerves in his tummy, Hugh swallowed. 

“You’re... not so bad yourself.” It came out quiet, but... He’d said it. He’d said it! It was the kind of thing that Hugh only read about people doing in books, something that he could only dream of saying himself. It was direct and bold in a way that Hugh rarely was. It felt... kind of awesome. 

Paul looks up at him then and is that... surprise on his face? It’s innocent in a way that Hugh has never seen on Paul before. But then again, conversing only in a classroom setting is not exactly a great way to get to know someone. Suddenly, Hugh wants to know everything about him. 

He gestures at the seat that Mona vacated moments before. Hope creeps into his voice as he says, “You wanna sit? We can suffer through the rest of this evening together.”

Paul fidgets. “You don’t have to. I mean, you don’t owe me anything.” 

Hugh furrows his brow, immediately understanding what he didn’t say out loud. “Paul, what makes you think I wouldn’t want to spend time with you?” He watches the other man, pushing past his nervousness to say, “I’ve always enjoyed our time in class together.” 

Paul looks up at him again and Hugh is once again almost knocked over by the blue of his eyes. “You have?” 

He nods, just a little bit breathless. “Yeah.” 

Paul’s eyes sweep over him, then he drops he gaze back to his glass. “But I’m so...” he gestures aimlessly, searching for the right word. “Abrasive. Prickly. Whatever.” 

Hugh swallows. He doesn’t totally know what the right thing to say is. Because yeah, Paul is prickly. And it can be off putting. But it can also be reassuring. Hugh is pretty sure that Paul would never bullshit him. Still, is that what Paul wants to hear? The silence lengthens and Hugh begins to sweat. Finally, he decides to just take a page out of Paul’s book. If Paul is so honest with everyone else, maybe he’d like some honesty in return. 

“Yeah. You can be.” Hugh shrugs, trying for nonchalance. “But... that’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes it’s... nice. It makes me feel like I can trust you.” 

“Oh.” Paul’s mouth is hanging open slightly, but he quickly shuts it. “That’s... oh.” 

Hugh offers him a smile. He’s never seen him at a loss for words before. He gestures once again at the seat. “So, what do you say?”

A tiny flicker of a smile creeps across Paul’s face and he nods, sliding into the seat. 

—

Paul wasn’t sure what he had expected to happen when he made the decision to pretend to be Hugh’s date. Really, he hadn’t expected anything because he hadn’t stopped long enough to fully think it through. For once in his life, he had just acted. Had he known that he would end up here, sitting opposite of the guy he’d been crushing on for the past semester, trading flirtatious looks and embarrassed smiles across a table… he honestly wasn’t sure if he would have done it. 

Paul didn’t do great with romance. Usually, he was just too busy and focused to notice anyone in that way. His only trysts had been solely about sex and a release of stress for both partners. Those experiences were fine, but they hadn’t elicited the warmth, the nervousness, that he was feeling right now.

Without Paul even noticing, Hugh had slipped under his cold exterior, his warm smile and kind eyes melting something inside Paul that he hadn’t even known was frozen. That wasn’t that dangerous on its own. Paul was used to keeping his emotions to himself, sharing some things only occasionally with his roommate and fellow student researcher, Straal. 

But now… shit. Now, there was a real chance that Hugh liked him back. God knew why. Paul wasn’t fun to be around. Even his own mother had told him that. Paul didn’t try to be abrasive, but at a certain point there was nothing he could do about it. He had always been driven, always had the feeling that there was something out there that he was being called to do. When he was enlisted to help with the mycelial network research as a student worker, he’d found a focus for all of that passion and energy. And he poured everything he had into it, while still making sure to keep up with his regular studies to graduate in time. He didn’t have a huge role in the research, spent most of his time cataloguing the work of other scientists… but he was still contributing to something groundbreaking, something that could be revolutionary. Something that he could have a much bigger part to play in if he stayed focused and dedicated. What was the point of trying to change his personality when he was a part of something like this? 

But here was Hugh, hinting that maybe he didn’t need to change his personality in order to be desirable. Which was honestly something that Paul had never considered. He’d always taken it for granted that if he wanted someone to like him he’d have to fundamentally change. But Hugh seemed to not just tolerate it but… maybe even like it? Or at least see a good side to it? That comment swirled around in Paul’s brain, making him blush throughout the rest of their conversation, even as he tried to get a grip. 

“So, hey, I didn’t make such a bad project partner after all, did I?” Hugh teased as he took a sip of his drink, eyes dancing with mirth. 

Paul rolled his eyes as he recalled the first thing he’d ever said to Hugh. “Look, not to be rude, but all I care about is passing this class. We don’t need to be friends. However, if you mess up this project for me, I will be your enemy.” 

“Listen, I…” 

“Hey, no need to explain yourself,” Hugh said, grinning. “I’m not a fan of group projects myself. I was just glad to be paired with someone as driven as I was. Even if you were a dick.” 

Paul smiled down at his drink. Although he and Hugh had grown closer over the course of their project, they’d never talked about their meeting. It was nice to hear Hugh’s side of the experience. “Yeah. Well, like you said, we made a good pair.” He blushed as he realized what he just said. “I— I mean—“ 

“Yeah, maybe we do.” Hugh was smiling, gaze soft, but he swallowed roughly as Paul looked up at him, giving away his own nervousness. 

“Hugh, I—“ 

“Paul! There you are. Shit, I’ve been looking all over for you.” 

Paul looked up as his friend Straal appeared, sweaty and flushed, but beaming. 

“What is it?” 

“It’s the mushrooms. They grew, Paul. They actually grew.” His grin was almost manic.

One of the special projects the two of them had been assigned as part of their student research was trying to get a particular kind of mushroom to survive. It was the kind of project assigned to students because no one had thought it would actually work, and they just wanted the data from what they tried so they could cross it off their lists. But Paul and Straal had decided to take it seriously, and do everything they could to make it work. And Straal was saying— 

A nearly hysterical laugh bubbled out of Paul’s throat. “They grew?” When Straal nodded, he laughed again, mouth hanging open in utter joy. “Oh my fucking god they grew!!” 

“Yeah. We need to get to the lab right now. Who knows how long they’ll be alive for?” 

Paul nodded, standing up, ready to head out immediately. Then he remembered the gorgeous man sitting across from him, and turned back. Hugh looked confused, amused, and a little disappointed. Paul couldn’t have that.

“Paul?” Straal asked. 

He looked over his shoulder at him. “You go. I’ll be there in a second.” 

Straal just shrugged and ran off, too preoccupied with the breakthrough to care about much of anything else. Paul turned back to Hugh. His whole body was buzzing. He’d never had a breakthrough this big before— he felt elated. He reached out and took hold of Hugh’s hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. It was warm and soft in Paul’s grip.

“Hugh, I—“ 

“It’s okay, I get it. You need to go.” 

Paul nodded. “I do but I.” He swallowed. He had never done something like this before. “Are you free this Saturday?” 

Hugh’s eyes widened as he nodded. “I am.” 

“Would you like to…” Paul searched his head for a date idea, coming up hopelessly blank. “I don’t know, go to dinner? Get coffee? Watch a movie?” Hugh smiled like he couldn’t help it, buoying up Paul’s confidence. “Will you go on a date with me?”

Hugh full on grinned. “Paul Stamets. I’d be utterly delighted.” 

Paul grinned back. “Okay. Okay. That’s— awesome.” He swallowed. “I gotta—“ he gestured over his shoulder with his head and Hugh nodded. “I gotta go.”

“I know. Go.” 

Paul squeezed his hand once more. Then, unable to stop himself, he brought it to his lips for a brief kiss, keeping eye contact with Hugh all the while, whose mouth dropped open as he watched Paul press his lips against his skin. “I’ll see you Saturday.” He gave him one last squeeze of the hand, then turned and ran through the crowd of party-goers. 

It turned out that pretending to be Hugh’s fake date might have been one of the best decisions he’d made in his entire life.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!! Please let me know what you think in the comments, and if you'd like to see any more of this story. :D Thanks so much for reading.


End file.
